Leadership

"The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly."
-Jim Rohn

The above quote captures the complexity of leadership.  My mother used to tell me as a child, “be a leader, not a follower.”  In today’s society, the leader holds a special place in the social and cultural collective consciousness, and it makes sense:  History remembers great leaders and even many of the terrible ones, and rarely those who followed them.  Many of us dream to be in that esteemed position of leadership, to enjoy the perks and prestige, and the power and influence over others.  Some of us seek to be leaders rather it’s a position on your local home owner’s association committee, being the owner of a small business, the CEO of a big corporation, or the President of the United States.   

However, there is another side of leadership that all would-be leaders must realize.  The life of a leader is very often a solitary one.  Walking to the beat of your own drummer is usually a one man (or woman) show.  This can be particularly difficult since humans are social creatures.  The reality is; most of humans turn out as followers and a very small amount become leaders.  I won’t get into the debate on rather this is a born or acquired trait, but this is the reality.  The animal kingdom mirrors this reality.  Not every female elephant becomes the matriarch of the herd.  Not every male lion gets his own pride.         

Though you get credit for the success of your leadership, you are also under the microscope when your leadership decisions fail or otherwise cause negative results.  Napoleon once said, “Victory is fleeting, defeat is forever”.  A good leader must realize that you can be successful 99 out of 100 times, but the one time you fail can cause your followers to turn on you, and lose your position of influence and leadership.  You are also in constant competition to maintain your leadership position.  Going back to the example of animals, the male lion spends more time protecting his position and territory from rival male lions than he does hunting for food.  Right, wrong, or indifferent; as a leader, there is constant pressure from rivals looking to take your place or simply see to it that you are removed.  Leaders are both revered and hated, sometimes for no logical reason, so beware of the latter.       

As a leader, it is a common mistake to be indecisive in an attempt to prevent making a bad decision which could lead to you losing your position as a leader.  This is often the worst thing you can do.  American military doctrine states that a bad decision is always better than indecision.  Followers would rather follow a decisive leader who makes crappy decisions, rather than an indecisive one who fears making decisions at all.  It is a very fine line to walk, because you don’t want to make too many bad decisions which could undermine your position and the confidence of your followers.    

So my bottom line here?  For would-be leaders:  Go into leadership with both eyes open.  Learn from the leaders of history, the present, and even those in the animal kingdom (seriously).  Be mindful of not just the prestige and perks, but the sometimes uncomfortable, awkward, and stressful sides of leadership.  It is fine that you may not be cut out for leadership, because when it’s all said and done, the majority of human beings that walk this earth are not leaders.